System Application Note AN810

AN810
Vishay Siliconix
A Simple Solution for Switching Multiple Power Sources
in Notebook Computers
Wharton McDaniel
The Si4720CY battery disconnect switch combines
trench-gated power MOSFETs and control circuitry in a single
package, providing a simple, compact solution for multiple
power source switching in notebook computers. Typical
solutions for this function are based on Schottky diodes and
discrete power MOSFET-based circuits that provide the power
switching, level shifting, and slew rate control. By contrast,
each Si4720CY contains two independent, level-shifted,
slew-rate-controlled p-channel MOSFETs. Used together,
they form a single reverse-blocking switch for battery or power
source disconnect. The Si4720CY is likewise configured such
that each level-shifted MOSFET can be combined with an
external MOSFET or Schottky diode to form a
reverse-blocking switch.
The lowest cost discrete solutions use Schottky diodes either
alone or in conjunction with MOSFET-based switching circuits.
Even though Schottky diodes are inexpensive, they come at
a cost in performance. The forward voltage drop, typically
0.4 V, creates two performance deficiencies when compared
to a MOSFET switch. In battery-powered systems, the 0.4-V
drop reduces useful battery life and, therefore, reduces the
operating time of the system. Second, the power dissipation of
the Schottky is significantly higher. A single Schottky diode
carrying a current of 2 A will dissipate 0.8 W. In comparison, the
two halves of the Si4720CY connected in series, carrying a
load current of 2 A, will have a voltage drop of approximately
0.12 V and will dissipate only 0.25 W.
The Si4720CY provides two half-switches in a single SO-16
package. Little design time is required. The control logic has
been designed to be self-powered, compatible with 3-V and
5-V logic, and to provide slew rate control. The component
count is a single package versus the seven parts required by
the discrete version. The required PC board space is minimal.
The Si4720CY circuit that is equivalent to the discrete circuit
is shown in Figure 2.
6
IN1
9, 10, 11
5
ESD
Logic
and
Gate
Drive
G1
D1
Level
Shift
12
GND1
VGS
Limiter
7, 8
S1
Half a circuit shown here.
FIGURE 1. Si4720CY Functional Block Diagram
Document Number: 70786
13-Apr-98
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AN810
Vishay Siliconix
D
S
S
G
IN
D
G
IN
FIGURE 2. Discrete Circuit and Si4720CY Equivalent Circuit
D
S
S
D
G
G
IN
IN
3a
3b
FIGURE 3. Si4720CY Switch, 1/2 Si4720cy with MOSFET, 1/2 Si4720CY with Schottky
The Si4720CY has been designed to allow three different
configurations of the switch: 1) the two halves of the Si4720CY
connected as a single switch, 2) the Si4720CY and two
external MOSFETs connected as two individual switches, and
3) the Si4720CY with two Schottky diodes connected as two
individual switches. Each configuration has its own
advantages. The optimal situation may be a combination of the
configurations to give the best combination of applied cost and
performance.
Using the Si4720CY as a single switch (Figure 2) is the most
flexible, compact, and efficient form. It is a single-component
solution. It allows individual control of the two MOSFETs, which
is important in some startup strategies. The 20-m MOSFETs
provide a low voltage drop switch with low power loss.
Using the Si4720CY with external MOSFETs (Figure 3a)
provides most of the advantages of the full Si4720CY
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configuration. A single switch requires half of the Si4720CY
and an external p-channel MOSFET such as
Vishay Siliconix’s Si4435DY. A two-switch configuration
requires three components—the Si4720CY and the two
MOSFETs—and is still compact compared to a discrete
solution. Like the full Si4720CY configuration, this approach
provides a low voltage drop switch with low power loss.
Individual control of the MOSFETs in the switch is sacrificed,
however, since the gate drive for the external MOSFET comes
from the control circuit for that half of the Si4720CY.
Combining the Si4720CY and Schottky diodes (Figure 3b)
requires the most PCB space, produces the highest drop, and
dissipates the most power of the three configurations
presented. A 3-A Schottky diode is packaged in an SMD or
DPAK package. The one advantage is cost, as a Schottky
diode is less expensive than a MOSFET or half of an
Si4720CY.
Document Number: 70786
13-Apr-98
AN810
Vishay Siliconix
The Si4720CY has been designed to turn on in 1.3 ms and to
turn off in 50 ns. The faster turn-off time ensures that no
shoot-through will occur if two reverse-blocking switches are
switched at the same time (one off and one on). Figures 4, 5,
and 6 show this mode of switching for each of the three
configurations of reverse-blocking switch. The top trace is the
FIGURE 4. Si4720CY Switching
control signal. This signal and its inversion drive the switches.
The bottom signal is the switch output, showing a switch from
a 7.5-V source to a 12.5-V source. The load is 100 mF and 5 W
connected in parallel. In all cases, the break-before-make time
is at least 1 ms.
FIGURE 5. Si4720CY/MOSFET Switching
FIGURE 6. Si4720CY/Schottky Diode Switching
Document Number: 70786
13-Apr-98
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AN810
Vishay Siliconix
U2 Si4720CY
VPM
VPM
R4
4.3 kW
R5
10 kW
U1B
CA339
7
9
6
VACAD
4
1
–
+
7
R2
1 kW
C2
0.1 mF
8
5
6
R1
5.1 kW
C1
1.0 mF
11
10
12
1
16
2
15
3
14
13
R3
1 kW
Drive
Drive
U3 Si4720CY
11
VPM
C4
0.1 mF
C3
1.0 mF
VCC
8
10
7
9
6
5
4
VB1
2
–
5 +
VB2
4
R10
10 kW
U1A
CA339
R6
3 kW
R8
1 kW
12
1
16
2
15
3
14
13
R7
3 kW
Drive
Drive
R9
1 kW
Buck Converter
VBUCK
+5V
4
1
3
2
U4 Si4720CY
C5
1.0 mF
C6
0.1 mF
D1–D3, D5, D6-IN4148
VACAD
VB1
VB2
D3
R11
1 kW
C2
1–10 mF
Drive
D6
8
Q1
7
Si9433DY
6
5
3
C8
1.0 mF
U5A
4013
12
16
2
15
3
3
14
4
13
VPM
D5
1
Drive
5
6
R12
10 kW
6
1
D4, 5 V
GND
7
9
4
VSTART
SW1
VSTART
8
5
D1
D2
11
10
1
R13
10 kW
VBUCK
2
4
FIGURE 7. Si4720CY Block Diagram
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Document Number: 70786
13-Apr-98
AN810
Vishay Siliconix
Figure 7 shows a power system with two batteries and an ac
adapter. Each power source is controlled by a switch in the full
Si4720CY configuration. This ensures full isolation of each
power source from the other when the switch is off.
The start-up circuit consists of three diodes, a resistor, a zener
diode, a capacitor, and the start switch. When the start switch
is closed, the highest of the three supply voltages is coupled
to the zener regulator. The resultant 5 V is used to turn on the
power selection circuitry. This circuitry determines what power
sources are available and which source should supply the
system. If the ac adapter is present, its Si4720CY switch is
turned on, and the switches for Battery 1 and Battery 2 are
inhibited. If the ac adapter is not present, one of the batteries
will become the power source used. The comparator decides
which battery has the highest voltage, and turns on the
corresponding Si4720CY switch. With the system powered,
the power selection circuitry is powered from the system
supply instead of the start-up supply.
Once the system is running, the power management circuitry
will monitor what power sources are available and their status.
On the basis of this information, the circuitry can decide which
power source should be used. When it is time to switch to a
new source, the transfer from the current to the new power
source must be transparent to the system. The switches break
before make to provide the transfer without having two power
sources connected simultaneously. But this must occur
quickly to avoid any interruption in power to the system. The
system capacitance must be large enough to support the
system’s power requirements for the switching period.
25°C, 70°C, and 85°C. It must be remembered that these
curves assume the junction temperature will not exceed
150°C; hence, the maximum current capability decreases as
the ambient temperature increases.
When the switch is on and normal operating current is flowing,
the switch functions in a steady-state condition. With a
steady-state Rqja of 83_C/W, the switch can dissipate 1.5 W.
In terms of a worst-case rDS(on) an ambient temperature of
25°C, the maximum switch current is 7.0 A. Since the ambient
temperature is typically higher than 25°C, the maximum
current is lower. Figure 9 shows how maximum current varies
with ambient temperature.
80
70
60
Surge Current AMP
50
40
IMAX (A) @70_C
30
IMAX (A) @25_C
20
10
IMAX (A) @85_C
0
0.001
0.01
0.1
1
10
100
1000
Time (sec)
FIGURE 8. Si4720CY Surge Current
8.0
The start-up condition as described earlier can be the most
thermally stressful. At start-up, the system capacitance is at
0 V. A large surge current passes through the MOSFETs to
charge this capacitance to the supply voltage. Ignoring lead
inductance of the PCB traces and the capacitance on the input
power bus, the surge current is defined by I = C*dv/dt. The ac
adapter voltage represents the worst-case condition for the
surge current.
7.0
6.0
I MAX
There are three operating conditions to be considered when
evaluating thermal performance: start-up, switch-on, and
switching from one power source to another. In each case,one
must use the appropriate form of Rqja to determine the
maximum junction temperature rise. The maximum
temperature rise added to the maximum ambient temperature
must not exceed 150°C for reliable operation.
5.0
4.0
3.0
25
40
55
70
85
100
TAmbient
The start-up surge should be viewed as a single-pulse
condition. Figure 8 shows the amount of current the switch can
handle for a given pulse-width at ambient temperatures of
Document Number: 70786
13-Apr-98
FIGURE 9. Maximum vs.. Ambient Temperature
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AN810
Vishay Siliconix
When switching from one power source to another, there are
two components to the current that must be considered. The
first component is the current the system is drawing for normal
operation. The second is the surge current. The surge current
occurs when the new power source voltage is higher than the
old voltage, and the system capacitance must be charged to
the new voltage. The MOSFET junction must stay below
150°C when subjected to the sum of these currents. The
period of the summed currents is a single-pulse condition.
Just like a standard LITTLE FOOT device, the Si4720CY relies
on the drain pins to transfer heat from the MOSFET junction to
the PC board. Therefore, each MOSFET in the Si4720CY
needs planar copper to transfer heat into the PC board.
Figure 10 gives the minimum recommended pattern for
mounting the Si4720CY. This pattern is based on a standard
16-pin SOIC pattern with spreading copper added to the drain
pins. The area required by the Si4720CY is approximately the
same as the area required by two individual MOSFETs in SO-8
packages. Using the Si4720CY frees up the PCB area used by
the four small-signal MOSFETs, the four resistors, and two
capacitors that are used with the two power MOSFETs in the
equivalent discrete circuit. If additional PC board area is
available, additional copper area will improve heat transfer.
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SO-16 with Heat Spreading Pads.
Pad Dimension 0.320 x 0.260
FIGURE 10.Si4720CY Pad Pattern
The Si4720CY battery disconnect switch provides a powerful
tool for switching multiple power sources. The combination of
two Trench MOSFETs and control circuirty in a single package
allows the control of high currents with an absolute minimum
number of components, simplifying the design process and
ensuring that the required PC board area is minimized.
Document Number: 70786
13-Apr-98